A four-year study, led by the Department of Geography at the Faculty of Arts, on sediment geodynamics of gravel beaches has been published in the leading international journal, Marine Geology (Elsevier). The study titled ‘Pocket beach sediment: A field investigation of the geodynamic processes of coarse-clastic beaches on the Maltese Islands (Central Mediterranean)’ was led by geographer and part-time member of staff, Sephora Sammut, with the supervision of physical geography lecturer Ritienne Gauci.
This research on Maltese gravel beaches, is the first to be ever published in an international journal and it is also a first in providing insights on the local coupling mechanisms between nearshore marine processes and beach sediment behaviour. Such an in-depth investigation was also possible thanks to the collaborative support of the Physical Oceanography Research Group within the Department of Geosciences, with co-authors Professor Aldo Drago, Adam Gauci and Dr Joel Azzopardi providing SWAN wave modelling information to investigate further such mechanisms.
In the paper, Sephora Sammut et al. surveyed four beaches with distinct geological lithologies, coastal configurations and variable wave exposures. Field data were collected on beach morphology, sediment size and shape properties to account for both seasonal and post-storm trends. Sediment tracer experiments were also carried out to determine the major transport pathways and recoveries of gravel beach sediments. The use of the SWAN wave model provided a clearer insight on the local wave parameters that influence sediment dynamics at specific temporal scales. Wave exposure, geological background and coastal configuration were found to be important components in coarse-clastic pocket beach behaviour. Such a study has important implications for better coastal management policies, especially in further understanding how gravel sediment on Maltese beaches may operate in response to different spatio-temporal trends, including long-term climate change effects such as intensive storms surges and rising sea levels.
The full paper is available .
The work will also be presented at the forthcoming European Geosciences Union (EGU) General Assembly 2017, to be held in Vienna (Austria) between 23 and 28 April 2017.
Studies on beach sediment dynamics form part of a wider arena of geomorphological research which the Department of Geography has been strengthening over the years. Other research includes studies on landslides and related hazards, sinkholes, rocky coast micro-erosion, marine notches, historical sea-level changes, and coastal megaclasts dynamics. Some of this research enjoys the collaboration of foreign universities and has been regularly published in various international peer-reviewed journals such as Natural Hazards, Quaternary international, Journal of Coastal Research, Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences (NHESS), Journal of Maps and Geoheritage.
¸£ÀûÔÚÏßÃâ·Ñ about the Department of Geography can be found online. The Department has also a dedicated .
